Israel’s bombing of the offices of a Lebanese NGO has been described by Amnesty International as a war crime. “The Israeli military’s targeting of branches of Qard Al-Hassan, a non-profit financial association affiliated with Hezbollah, with over 30 branches across Lebanon, likely violates international humanitarian law and must be investigated as a war crime,” said the rights organisation.
Israel launched a series of raids targeting branches of the institution in the southern suburbs of Beirut and in southern and eastern Lebanon on Sunday night. The institution, which has been under US sanctions for years, provides banking services to hundreds of thousands of customers. Israel accuses it of financing Hezbollah’s activities.
“Even if, as the Israeli military alleges, the institution does provide financing to Hezbollah, it is not likely to meet the definition of a military objective, particularly for branches serving civilian customers,” explained Amnesty. “Having an association with Hezbollah is not sufficient to classify a civilian building or the civilians inside it as military objectives. Under international humanitarian law, attacks against civilians and civilian objects are prohibited. An international investigation into the attacks on Qard al-Hassan must be initiated urgently.”
The organisation noted that many of Qard Al-Hassan’s branches and offices are located in residential buildings and in the middle of densely populated residential areas. “Israeli forces must maintain a clear distinction between military objectives and civilian objects at all times.”
On Monday, the Israeli confirmed that that it had launched a series of strikes “targeting dozens of facilities and sites used by the Hezbollah organisation.” It had announced on Sunday night that it would begin targeting the institution’s headquarters, accusing it of “directly financing Hezbollah’s terrorist [sic] activities, including the purchase of weapons and payments to fighters in Hezbollah’s military wing.”
Washington accuses Qard Al-Hassan of providing cover for Hezbollah’s financial activities. The institution has been registered with the Lebanese authorities since the 1980s.
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